Why is this so difficult?
Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co LLC, operating on 154.4825 MHz in Monroe, Georgia was issued a Notice of Violation for operating a repeater station (FB2), when their license was only authorized for use as a Mobile (MO) operation. Transcontinental was also found operating with a digital emission and could be fined $7,000 for the interference, $4,000 for using an unauthorized frequency and an additional $4,000 and for unauthorized emissions. They have twenty days to provide the Commission a mea culpa and a plan for corrective measures.
Nixon was President at the Time!
The Public Safety and Homeland Bureau (PSHSB) denied a waiver request from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Authority asking that its secondary status on two VHF frequencies be converted to primary. The Authority explained that it has been operating FB2 stations on these mobile frequencies as part of a statewide conventional system with 25 repeaters and 3000 mobiles for 40 years and apparently only recently became aware that the base station use was secondary when the FCC recently added a condition to some licenses. The FCC was not impressed by the Authority’s dire claims about the public safety risk that would result from denial of the request, describing them as “hyperbolic.” The FCC noted that the Authority apparently had operated for decades without having to cease operations and likely would be able to continue doing so.
Category: In the newsLoJack Units Receive Waiver Extension
Holding the line on indefinite waivers of its narrowband requirements, the FCC granted an extension until December 31, 2024 for LoJack units already being used. LoJack is designed to help locate and recover stolen vehicles. It didn’t hurt that the request from the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators received support from numerous police departments around the county. The only party that objected to indefinite relief was NTIA since the spectrum at issue is allocated primarily for Federal use. FCC Order
Category: In the newsWhere to File a Narrowband Complaint
Although the March 4 Public Notice regarding post-NB license renewal procedures recommended filing complaints through the fcc.gov/complaints website, it appears that the drop down menu for the site includes no option for anything remotely close to reporting a license that continues to be authorized for or continues to operate an unauthorized wideband emission in the 150-470 MHz bands. EWA has been advised that The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Enforcement Bureau are sorting out whether the FCC is prepared to take any action when such licenses block the licensing of an FB8 channel in the absence of an interference problem or actual knowledge that the system continues to operate in wideband mode.
Category: In the newsForfeiture Notice? Likely Not if Public Safety!
The City of McDonough, Georgia continued operating a multiple address system on an expired license. Then the city filed a request for a new license for the same system without mentioning that it was to replace an expired authorization. Eventually, it amended its application to acknowledge that the application was for an operational system that needed a waiver to conduct one-way, rather than two-way, operations on the channel. Under these circumstances the FCC found that it would be unduly burdensome for the City to change frequencies on almost 5,000 meter readers at a potential cost perhaps over $750,000. We wonder if this case will be submitted to the Enforcement Bureau for an investigation as it most certainly would be if the licensee was a non-public safety entity. Maybe at least an admonishment is in order? FCC Order
Category: In the newsPersonal Use of Signal Boosters – No Sharing!
On September 23, the FCC adopted an Order on Reconsideration granting requests to streamline the testing procedures for Wideband Consumer Signal Boosters. At the same time the Commission released a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking asking whether it is necessary to retain the “personal use” only restriction for Provider-Specific Consumer Signal Boosters. The current limitation essentially is supposed to prohibit individuals who install such a device for example in an office, even with the carrier’s consent, from allowing other employees who also are subscribers with the same carrier to use the device for their personal business communications. This is one of those goofy rules that every now and then have users scratching their heads. Service rules that make no sense and are near impossible to enforce should be modified. EWA plans to file comments supporting elimination of this restriction.
Category: EWA On Your SideEWA’s Cevo®…Our Spectrum Toolbox is Now Yours
The Coordination Evolution began this spring with the Cevo® mobile app, the first to enable anytime, anywhere frequency searches. We didn’t stop there! The full desktop version of Cevo will be unveiled at the 2014 Wireless Leadership Summit in Denver Colorado, October 8-10. We put you in control of the full EWA toolbox, and Cevo will allow you to not only conduct frequency searches and get immediate and accurate results with the reliability of EWA across multiple digital devices, but it will also allow you to do these more complex tasks: Conduct spectrum research
- Analyze channel possibilities
- Seek exclusive channels
- Review frequency coordination results
- Submit applications
- Verify status of business/industrial and public safety land mobile radio frequency applications to the FCC.
Cevo gives you the full power of EWA on any platform – smartphone, tablet, and desktop. We will be doing multiple demonstrations during the Summit. Visit EWA at the Wireless Leadership Summit to learn more about “Licensing and Spectrum Essentials” and the Cevo demo, or view the program for more details.
